Presentation of the municipality

Sainte-Mère-Eglise is a city of c. 1,500 inhabitants.

The origin of the name of the city (litt., St. Mother-Church,
therefore the church on the coat of arms) is controversial. It could
have been named after a Germanic lord called Sintmer, or after a
deformation of Marie. In the XIIIth century, the city was
already known as Santa Maria Ecclesia.

Sainte-Mère-Eglise became famous on 6 June 1944 at 2:30,
when soldiers from General Ridgway's 82nd Airborne Division were
parachuted over the city. The 82nd Division, along with the 101st
Division, was expected to relieve the hinterland of Utah Beach. On
the evening of 6 June, Sainte-Mère-Eglise was liberated after
harsh fights, which ceased only on 7 June when the first tanks
arrived from Utah Beach.

The XI-XIIIth century church of Sainte-Mère-Eglise is
portrayed in Darryl F. Zanuck's movie 'The Longest Day'. Soldier
Steel remained hung by his parachute to the church steeple for two
hours, during which he pretended to be dead, a few centimeters from a
bell which constantly sounded the tocsin.

Sainte-Mère-Eglise is the starting point of the Voie de
la Liberté (Way of Freedom).12,000 symbolical milestones
were placed along the road followed by the Patton Army from Normandy
to Metz and Bastogne (Belgium). Those milestones were designed by
François-Victor Cogné in 1947 as a tribute to the USA.
The milestones bear 48 stars, a torch inspired by the Statue of
Liberty, the emblem of the 3rd Army and waves symbolizing the
Atlantic Ocean. Km 0 of the Voie de la Liberté is the
city hall of Sainte-Mère-Eglise.

Sources: Guide Vert Michelin Normandie-Cotentin

Ivan Sache, 25 March 2002

Description of the flag

The flag of Sainte-Mère-Eglise is pale yellow with the
municipal coat of arms placed in the middle of the flag.